Save taxes?
This is how you step out of the church – and these are the consequences
In Germany, church tax is mandatory for Protestants and Catholics. If you don’t want to pay them anymore, you have to leave the church. Here you can find out how it works.
It is also often overlooked by those who don’t really want to pay at all or deliberately ignored: church tax. The sentences that you find on the tax assessment every year look low at first glance. For many people who are not believers and never go to church, regular payment does not feel painful enough to take the effort of exit from the church. If the Church really does not matter in your own life and you consider this step, you save surprising sums in the long run by the elimination of church tax – but you have to officially leave the church.
This is how the church leak works
As a rule, the residence or the district court of the place of residence takes place. Here you should make an appointment in advance. When the time comes, you have to appear personally and present a valid ID. You don’t have to explain the reasons for the exit request. An administrative fee is incurred – depending on the state, it is between 25 and 35 euros. The exit is then automatically communicated to the tax office, so that the church tax usually does not apply from the following month. The same procedures apply to the different denominations.
In Germany, church tax is not only members of the Roman Catholic and the Evangelical Church, but also members of smaller religious communities such as the Old Catholic Church or the Israelite cultural communities. Around 40 percent of the tax revenues flow into pastoral and charitable work. The rest is used to finance church buildings, the administration, church educational institutions as well as social services such as kindergartens and hospitals. According to estimates, the proportion that flows directly to charitable purposes is around ten to 15 percent of the income from church tax.
Church tax in most federal states is nine percent of wage or income tax, in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg it is only eight percent. For singles with a gross annual income of around 50,000 euros, this results in a church tax of around 800 to 1000 euros per year.
A couple without children can save around 2,000 euros of church tax per year by leaving the church. The exact tax level depends on married couples on whether both partners are subject to church tax. If only one in the church is, there can still be a payment obligation via the so -called “special church money”. Namely, if the partner, who is not a church member, deserves significantly more than the partner who is a member.
Avoiding church tax can have consequences
Church exit is a personal decision with financial, but also social and spiritual consequences. Those who consider it should be clear about possible effects – for example when wishing for a church wedding or funeral. A church wedding is usually only possible if at least one of the partners is a member of the church. And church funerals can also be rejected by the local community or the local pastor or priest if the deceased was no longer a member of the church.
WT
Source: Stern
